Can dogs eat cake?

Chocolate cake, brownies, and chocolate frosting contain cocoa, which carries theobromine and caffeine. Carrot cake and fruit cake often include raisins or sultanas, which can cause kidney damage. Some cakes use macadamia nuts or are soaked in rum or brandy. Keto and diabetic-friendly cakes may be sweetened with xylitol, which can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar.

If your dog ate any of these, keep the packaging or recipe and phone your vet or a pet poison helpline straight away.

A slice of plain sponge with buttercream can easily hold 350 to 450 calories, much of it from sugar and butter. For a 10 kg (22 lb) dog, that is close to a full day's energy. Sudden rich foods can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and in susceptible dogs, pancreatitis.

Lemon drizzle, Victoria sponge, and vanilla cupcakes are not toxic, but they belong on the people's plates.

Candles, plastic toppers, cake pop sticks, ribbon, and foil cake boards all smell of cake and are regularly swallowed. Paper cupcake cases can clump in the gut when eaten in numbers. After a party, walk round the room and collect anything your dog could chew.

Children often share cake without asking, so give them a dog treat to hand out instead.

A simple dog cake can be made from oat flour, an egg, plain unsweetened yogurt, and a spoon of plain cooked pumpkin, baked in a small tin. Top it with a smear of plain cream cheese rather than frosting. Cut it into portions and count each slice in your dog's daily calories.

Pet shops and some bakeries also sell ready-made cakes formulated for dogs.